The Wolf Within
by ArdelliaBlade
Summary: Something unexpected happened at the end of HBP. And it's not Bill in the hospital bed this time... Now everyone hates Remus, Tonks thinks she'll never find love and Hermione has problems of her own. RLHG
1. Chapter 1: Condemned

Reminder: I do not own anything having to do with Harry Potter. That's all J.K. Rowling's.

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Warning: This story will contain violence. If that bothers you in any way, this fic is probably not the best for you to read.

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This story is dedicated to Russet022, who takes her time to talk to me about random things for three hours in the middle of the day. Russet, you wanted Remus fic, so here it is. Sorry, it's not as happy as I thought it would be.

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**...Chapter One: Condemned**

"Will she be alright?"

"--when I get my hands on--"

"Ron, shut up!"

"Mr. Potter, either keep silent or leave."

"Sorry."

Hermione's head ached, but she forced her eyes open. Light streamed from the windows, too much light. She closed her eyes again, wishing the sunlight away. Mercifully, someone closed the curtains, and when she opened her eyes again, red-headed blotches came into focus. The entire Weasley clan had to be crowded around her bed, judging from the sheer amount of red shone in her line of vision.

Someone edged closer and Hermione was relieved to see Harry.

"Hermione!" She could tell that he had not been sleeping. Dark circles stood out under his eyes and his normally emerald gaze was bloodshot. She smiled weakly up at him, wondering why she hurt all over.

The ever efficient Madam Pomfrey ushered everyone out before Hermione could get a word in. It took her a few moments to realize that she was not alone in the room. Sitting on the next bed was a rather haggard looking man with greying brown hair.

She heard a scream from behind the door, Ron's voice, and for a moment she was transferred back to the battle. Screams from all sides tore at her ears. Dust flew though the air, its motes disrupted by brilliant flashes of light from all directions. She remembered Ron's voice screaming her name as a weight bore down on her from behind.

And then all was pain. Nothing mattered except the searing pain on her shoulder, the ragged cries torn from her throat...

She was brought back to reality by an echo of the pain. Madam Pomfrey had stripped the bandage off her shoulder, and was dabbing at it with an ordinary gauze pad.

_Why doesn't she use magic?_ Hermione wanted to ask the question. But fear stilled her tongue. Gryffindor courage escaped her as she wondered if she really wanted to know.

She looked back over at the man, trying to ignore the medi-witch.

"Professor Lupin?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Were you injured?" His normally kind face was filled with pity. He shook his greying head from side to side.

Another shout issued from the hall, followed by a _bang. _

The door of the Hospital Wing flew off its hinges as an irate Ron Weasley stepped into the room.

His eyes rested on her face for a moment, intense relief softening his features. But then his face went hard.

He walked to the end of her bed and stood, watching the exposed wound like it was an animal ready to strike.

"Werewolf!" He shouted the word. Everything about him bespoke a rage that Hermione had never seen in her friend. Ron's usual temper had reached an entirely new level.

His eyes shifted to Lupin.

"Are you happy now? Are you glad she's like _you_?" Never before had Hermione thought that Ron could kill someone, but in that instant, she knew better.

The thought frightened her. He was her best friend. They had always known Harry would have to kill Voldemort. But Ron looked like he would enjoy nothing more in life than ripping Lupin limb from limb.

"Finally got a pack of your own? You bloody git! I bet you_ are_ happy!" Ron stormed out of the room before Pomfrey could throw him out.

Hermione's gut twisted in knots.

_What was going on?_

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Remus Lupin never left her side. From the moment he had seen the bloody holes in her shirt at the end of the battle, the moment that his trembling hands revealed her new secret, he had been beside her. Before anyone else knew what horrors the girl would have to face, he watched over her. And as one of her best friends condemned him for being related to her new condition, he sat through it.

He condemned himself.

The wolf in him _was_ pleased. It was content. For too many years it had been alone.

Remus felt the being inside him reach out to the girl in the bed. She would be horrified when she learned what she was. She would throw him out and condemn him as well.

He deserved it.

"Professor Lupin?" Her voice cut through his thoughts. "What happened?"

There, the question he had hoped to avoid.

"Fenrir Greyback transformed during the battle." No one knew how the Death Eater had managed to transform without the full moon, but that did not make what he had to say any easier.

"He bit you."

A gasp from the girl drew his gaze back to Madam Pomfrey's hands on her shoulder.

She would hate him, he knew it. But McGonagall thought that it would be less painful for her to learn the truth from someone who shared her fate.

"Hermione, at the next full moon, you will be a werewolf."

Before she could blame him, tell him that he should have protected her and the others, he left.

She would need time, luckily the full moon was weeks away.

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**...Author's Notes:**

I have my reasons for making Hermione a werewolf. They will be revealed later in the story. So, don't expect me to tell you them in my Author's Notes.

Reviews are always welcome, as are Flames, Comments, and anything else that will make you click that button...


	2. Chapter 2: Pink Hair and Name Tags

Reminder: I do not own Harry Potter, the genius in charge of that is J.K. Rowling.

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**...Chapter Two: Pink Hair and Name Tags**

Nymphadora Tonks was off colour. And for a metamorphmagus, that meant something very literal. Her normally cheerful face was the colour of cold ashes and her vibrant, bubblegum hair had faded out to a drab brown that fell limply in her eyes.

No one had ever accused Tonks of being a stick in the mud until after Sirius's death. But now it was the only way that people ever seemed to think of her.

She walked down Diagon Alley in a daze. It seemed strange that no one besides her appeared to know the truth about what had happened in the last few days.

She shook herself, trying to remember why she was in Diagon Alley in the first place.

Oh yes, McGonagall had given her "time-off" from the Order, supposedly to recover from the battle. But Tonks translated it as "time to avoid Remus." Not that the werewolf had done anything wrong. In fact he was too damned perfect.

Tonks had planned to ask him out again when she realized that she would live through the battle. But ever since the dust settled, he had been at Hermione's side.

He was too busy to even look at her, and that hurt more than him yelling ever could have. Remus was not a very expressive person, but the fact that he had not even sought her out to make sure that she was alright told her more than she needed to know.

She meant nothing to him, besides being a fellow member of the Order.

Tonks felt her skin go completely white at the thought of the girl in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts.

Perhaps it was better for everyone. After all, Tonks could only give Remus family. But Hermione could give him something that he had not had in a very long time, a pack.

A loud explosion shook the buildings.

Within a moment, years of Auror training took over. Wand in hand, Tonks advanced on the entrance of the building she identified as the source of the noise. She registered the words "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" over the door before she crept inside.

The throng of people inside seemed perfectly happy and there was not a Death Eater mask in sight. With a sigh of relief, Tonks sheathed her wand on her left forearm. One could never be too careful these days. Or maybe Moody's paranoia had finally just gotten through to her.

Two young wizards stood behind the counter wearing horrid brightly coloured robes.

"Please remember, folks," began one, "everything on the shelves is one hundred percent guaranteed –"

"—it's the stuff on the spinners ya gotta look out for!" The other twin finished.

Tonks recognized them instantly as Fred and George, but she was not sure which was which. Not that their own mother could tell those two doppelgangers apart.

Laughter greeted the twins' proclamation and Tonks reluctantly joined in. The day was only going to get worse, she might as well laugh when she had an excuse for it.

The smallest tinge of pink crept into her hair and face. Laughing always made her feel better. She realized that she had missed it over the last few months. No one had given her an excuse to laugh, and Remus least of all.

That was what she needed, a wizard with a sense of humour. Not that she would turn down a muggle if he asked her. But being an Auror meant giving up a large part of one's time. She knew that a muggle would never be able to understand her work.

After her seemingly suitable morose thoughts, she was startled to realize that she was standing next to a shelf of hot pink packaged items labelled as "Wonder Witch" products. She flinched away from the obviously girly display.

But her hair had taken it upon itself to morph to match the colour of the packaging.

Two pairs of mischievously glinting eyes focused on her in an instant.

"Tonks?" The young wizards chorused.

"Ladies and gentlebeasts, may we introduce—"

"—a real heroine of our time—"

"—a woman who fights Death Eaters—"

"—and looks good doing so—"

"—the wise, the beautiful, and mostly innocent—"

"Nymphadora Tonks!"

Her face turned scarlet. Not just from blushing, but from her wayward emotions as well. Sometimes being a metamorphmagus had its advantages. This was not one of those times. Never before had she wanted an invisibility cloak to fall from the sky and cover her up...

People in the store clapped politely, as if wondering if this was another of the twins' jokes. A few smart ones even started edging towards the door.

But before Tonks could get away, the twins hurtled the counter and landed beside her.

"Any news on Herms?" Tonks noticed a badge on the front of his robes stating "Hi, My Name Is: Gred." While his twin's matching badge said "Forge. " She tried to make sense of the names instead of thinking about the question.

"As long as she doesn't mind getting bushy brown hair all over once a month..." Tonks knew that the comment was beneath her, but it still made her feel a bit better.

She was a prankster after all. Not that anything having to do with lycanthropy was a prank. Try as she might, Tonks could not feel sorry for the girl. So what if she was a werewolf now? That meant that she got to spend time with Remus, one of the most caring... gentle...

Damn it! She felt like she was about to cry.

She noticed the twins look nervously at each other. The one marked "Gred" looked like he might want to say something. But "Forge" stepped on his foot.

"Pomfrey says should heal in time. But it's fairly certain that she has joined the ranks of the terminally fuzzy." The words rushed out of Tonks's mouth before she could quell the flow. The twins looked suitably shocked at her behaviour.

"I'll just be going." She commented drily before slipping out of their clutches.

Walking down Diagon Alley with twin sets of reproving eyes on her back, Tonks felt her hair shift to dull brown.

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**...Author's Notes:**

I could not have this story without at least giving Tonks some time to get her feelings about the whole thing out. Seeing as how she seemed depressed for most of HBP, I figured it would carry over a bit now that Lupin has no time at all for her to convince him to be with her.

Feel free to comment. Where do you see this story going? Which characters would you like to see more of? Click the Review button.


	3. Chapter 3: An Invitation

Reminder: Harry Potter is not and never will be my property. He and all of his friends, their world, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.

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**…Chapter Three: An Invitation**

No one had thought to tell Hermione about Dumbledore's death. Harry had been answering questions for the Ministry since she had woken up, and Ron refused to go anywhere near her. Well, thinking about it, it was not that he refused to go near her, but that he refused to get within thirty feet of Lupin.

With older werewolf constantly at her side, this made talking to one of her two best friends difficult to say the least.

Lupin himself did not say much to Hermione, though she had tried to force him into a conversation once or twice. He was her only source of information about her new condition, since everyone stoutly refused to bring her books from the library.

It was Madam Pomfrey who first let news of Dumbledore's death slip out.

"Dumbledore would have known what to do…" She muttered while re-bandaging Hermione's wounds once again.

Torn out of her musings as to why werewolf bites could not be treated by magical means, Hermione's brain caught onto the words "would have." The past tense made a shiver run down her spine. She had assumed that Harry was merely answering questions about the battle. But no, the Aurors would have questioned others had that been the case. Harry was telling them about Dumbledore's murder…

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He knew she was a brilliant witch. But watching her face as she puzzled through Poppy's cryptic comment was another matter entirely.

It was one thing to know that someone was intelligent. Seeing evidence of that intelligence made it all the more real somehow. He should not have been surprised, after all, she had figured out he was a werewolf when she was in her third year. Most wizards never had a clue of what he was until someone let it slip.

"He's dead?" Her voice sounded tiny and frightened. _She must be thinking what we all have_, he realized. _How can we win without Dumbledore?_

Their hero, their trump card, their mentor, he had been so many things to the Order. And now he was just a body, a body that they had to bury like so many before.

Remus nodded and watched as her face fell. Whoever replaced Dumbledore would never let a werewolf attend Hogwarts. Even if she had received the _curse_ in order to protect the school and its headmaster.

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That evening, while Hermione stared blankly up at the ceiling, the door to the Hospital Wing opened. She glanced over to make sure that Lupin had not woken up. The man's brow was covered in sweat and she wondered if he was having a bad dream.

"Miss Granger." Hermione looked up to see the severe face of Professor McGonagall. The older witch sat down in the chair beside Hermione's bed.

"Classes have been cancelled for the rest of the term. While the other students will be going home tomorrow, it is my wish that you remain here for a few days." Hermione nodded. It would be foolish to send her back into a muggle neighbourhood now. The thought depressed her.

Living with her parents would never be possible again. They understood her being a witch, but being a werewolf was something else entirely. She was a danger to them now, even more than she was as Harry Potter's best friend.

McGonagall seemed to see all of this in her face, because the stern countenance melted slightly.

"I want you to say so that you can finish your NEWTs. You know as well as I do that they have to be taken while you are still a student for them to count for anything in your career. And we can't be certain that the board of governors will select someone as headmaster who will allow you to stay on as a student." Hermione appreciated her Head of House's blunt manner, but that did not prevent her eyes from filling with tears.

Hogwarts was home. No other place in either the wizarding world or the muggle world felt the same to her. Now she was getting forced out of that home before she was ready.

She figured that she had maybe a week to say goodbye to the castle instead of the year that she had been looking forward to. She would never get to wear the Head Girl badge that seemed all but assured to her a few days ago.

"I understand. If I take my tests before the next full moon then you can claim that you never knew I'm a –" Hermione could not finish that sentence, not yet.

McGonagall's sad nod affirmed her answer.

"I believe that a change of situation is called for. Since you will no longer be a student, I can not keep you from becoming a member of the Order. I would like you to ask your parents for permission, but I understand that might be difficult." She at least understood that Hermione could not tell her parents everything. "You have shown your worth time and time again since your first year. Last summer, I agreed that you were too young to join. But I'm afraid after this you will never be young again."

Hermione knew that her professor was right. Age had nothing to do with being young, at least not in this war.

"As much as Remus hates to admit it, he's been having problems with his mission. It is hoped that having another," the witch paused, searching for the right word, "accomplice with him will solidify his position."

Suddenly, Hermione understood why Lupin looked so tired these days. The werewolves that he was supposed to be spying on did not trust him. It was not very surprising. He was an outsider. From what Hermione had read in her third year, werewolves were very territorial and mistrusting of any invaders to their packs.

_Hermione Granger: muggle-born, bookworm...werewolf...spy._

She added the last two words to her perception of herself. Muggle-born always came first because it dictated where she stood in both worlds. Bookworm was second because that was where she stood with her friends. But she was still uncertain as to how the last two words would classify her.

But she would find out soon enough.

In her mind, becoming a spy for the Order almost made up for the lack of her Head Girl position, but not quite. Maybe she could coerce Lupin into teaching her more while they worked together. It would be good practice after all; coercion was a spy's stock and trade.

Being Lupin's partner was appealing. He had always been one of her favourite professors. Now she would be able to prove just how much she had learned since receiving her Hogwarts letter.

A slight snore echoed through the room and Lupin shifted in his sleep.

McGonagall turned to face him before looking back at Hermione.

"Take care of him, Miss Granger. He seems to forget about himself sometimes." Her smile was sad and drawn. "I know more than one person who would be sad to lose him..." She got up and left, but Hermione heard a few more words float through the darkness.

"The last of our Marauders..."

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**...Author's Note:**

I'm glad to see that so many people like this story. In the section that follows Remus's thoughts, the word "curse" is italicised because lycanthropy is not a literal curse, he just views it as such.

Questions? Comments? Burning need to see certain characters included in this fic? Click the Review button.


	4. Chapter 4: In Which Remus Gets Depressed

Reminder: This fic is set in the Harry Potter world and using characters owned by J.K. Rowling.

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**...Chapter Four: In Which Remus Gets Depressed**

"No." The look on his face should have told her to stop, but McGonagall pressed the issue.

"Remus, I must insist—"

"Minerva, while I might put myself in harm's way, I cannot in good conscience allow you to do the same with Hermione."

"She wants to be useful."

Remus cringed inwardly as he let loose a comment that he knew would distress the witch.

"And so does Harry. I don't see you letting him run off to dance with wolves."

Minerva McGonagall slammed shut the book in her lap. Her eyes were focused on his. For a moment he flashed back to his school days with the same burning glare on him for a particularly nasty trick with the Marauders.

He remembered that he should not be cowed by her. She was not his professor anymore. And despite being the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix, she did not have the right to send Hermione into danger.

"Remus, you know she has to go with you. None of us know how to deal with the transformations. Poppy has barely more than a passing knowledge of how to treat her afterwards, but no one can be with her when it happens—"

Remus started to protest and the woman rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I could try to stay with her, but I doubt that a cat could keep a werewolf in line for long. I hear that it took both Mr. Potter and Mr. Black to keep you under control."

Sheepishly, Remus looked down at his feet. He had been a bit of a handful and that was after years of being a werewolf.

"Now, you will allow Miss Granger to accompany you. I understand your desire to keep her from harm, but this girl has seen more than many her age. If the Order believes she can handle it, then you should as well."

She turned back to her book. The implied dismissal caught Remus off balance.

Before he knew it, he was in the hallway, looking disparagingly at the door to McGonagall's office. The knotted grain of the wood before him could not tell him what he needed to know. He wanted to blast down the door and tell McGonagall that Hermione would never be a spy for the Order.

But he could not help imagining her covered in scars not unlike his own. Could he really leave her to face the full moon alone? She would scream out in pain as the moon took its place in the sky. In her rage, she would tear at her own flesh. He remembered... oh yes, he remembered... He had been a child when he first transformed, but that had not stopped his desperate teeth from latching onto any part of himself that he could reach. His claws had gashed across his fur, trying to rip it from his body.

A shudder raced through his body at the memories. And he felt his left hand involuntarily mimicking the movement of so long ago. His hand rose and swept across the side of his face, his fingertips tracing the scars.

No, he would not let Hermione face that alone. Even the Wolfsbane Potion would not protect her from the ravages of the first transformation. That much he had learned in his time as a spy.

Remus sought out the refuge of the rooms he had been assigned.

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He awoke seven hours later with a splitting headache. The Ogden's had not been his best idea in awhile, but it reminded him of much happier times. Getting drunk with the Marauders had always been quite an experience. But the hangovers could kill.

It took a few minutes to realize what had gotten him up.

A rather hesitant knock came at the door. Ignoring it did very little, as the sound refused to go away.

Remus got out of the chair, realizing that a few days of sleeping sitting up had seemed to permanently strain his neck. With his head and neck aching, he staggered towards the door.

As soon as he turned the lock, a figure burst into the room.

"Professor Lupin!" Remus jumped backwards. He fell onto the table behind him, sending the half empty bottle of Ogden's towards the floor.

The resounding crash rang through his head. With a rather pained attempt at thought, Remus decided that the table was probably the best place for him.

The invader finally noticed the state that Remus was in.

"Um... Professor? Are you drunk?" The voice cut through the ringing in his head.

Harry.

The blighter that had woken him up, spilled his firewhiskey and made his socks wet, was Harry.

He looked down at his socks, wondering how they had gotten wet. But then he saw the darkish puddle surrounded by glass shards.

"No, Harry, I am not drunk. I, however, was drunk." He let out an exasperated sigh and moved himself back towards the armchair he had occupied.

He watched as Harry nervously moved to the seat across from him.

"You wished to discuss something with me?" Remus's duties to Harry outweighed the pounding in his head. He stretched his neck out and waited for the reply.

"Well..." Harry looked shell shocked. Everything had piled up on him over the last few days. It was evident in how he held himself; the dead look in his eyes. "I wanted to know..." his words broke off.

"Yes, Harry?" The older man prompted.

"Is Hermione still going to be Hermione?" Every line of Remus's frame stiffened. Harry had suffered enough, without having his best friend pulled away from him by the world they were trying to protect.

"Hermione will still be herself, if that is what you wanted to know." The headache was mercifully fading. He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "She might act slightly different. She may crave rare meat, or be a bit more temperamental than typical once a month."

Harry gave a half-hearted grin.

"Well, that at least is nothing new." His smile faded. "The Aurors told me that if she is... well, you know... she won't be able to return to Hogwarts."

Remus knew that the defeated expression on his own face was not going to help the young man. He shook his head.

"Only Dumbledore would have allowed Hermione to stay here."

The men sat in silence, ignoring the spreading pool of firewhiskey, reflecting on how one death could change the course of the future.

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**...Author's Note:**

Look at Russet022's stuff. I command you, oh, hordes of mine! She was kind enough to look this chapter over for me before I brought it to you all. She also named the chapter for me, since we just kept cracking bad jokes about it... Alternate title for this chapter "ANGST!"

Reviews are always welcome. Got any ideas? Because I'm willing to incorporate some into the story.


	5. Chapter 5: NEWTs, Roses and a Marauder

Reminder: Owning Harry Potter is strictly the business of J.K. Rowling.

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**...Chapter Five: NEWTs, Roses and a Marauder**

Hermione found that she had very little time to revise before the tests were upon her. Instead of panicking like usual, she found herself thrown headfirst into her studies. The facts and figures drove images of the white tomb that now stood on the grounds.

The day after the students left, a ministry official appeared at the door of the castle. He introduced himself to Hermione as Examiner Marshall Larue. She had barely taken in his pinstriped fedora and black cloak before the tests began.

It was a week later when Examiner Larue handed her a sealed envelope.

"I must say, it was a distinct pleasure working with you, Miss Granger. Seldom do I see students apply themselves so diligently to their learning." He bowed slightly towards Professor McGonagall, who stood just a pace behind Hermione.

"As always, Minerva, your hospitality was excellent."

Hermione did not pay attention as the man left, but slowly opened the letter.

Pride burst through her. She was only the fourth student in Hogwarts history to sit their NEWT examinations early. But she was the only one of those four to attain "O"s in ever subject she took.

* * *

Remus smiled at the girl who was busy asking Flitwick if she could borrow his quill. He watched as she wrote a hasty note to her parents, telling them of her newest achievement. For a moment, it did not matter that her NEWT scores would have very little to do with the next few years of her life. Her triumph allowed the entire staff of Hogwarts to smile. Despite their loss, they knew that Dumbledore would have been proud of Hermione.

"Congratulations, Hermione." He said, walking up to the lone table in the Great Hall.

Hermione's head turned towards him, a winning smile spread across her face. The simple joy that radiated from her made everyone in the room relax for the first time in days.

"Thank you, Professor." A modest blush suffused her cheeks.

"None of us are your professors anymore, Hermione." A faintly chiding voice reminded her.

Hermione looked down the table to where Professor McGonagall sat. Her hair was still pulled back in its bun and tartan fabric clung to her shoulders. The familiar square spectacles clung to the bridge of her nose.

"I'll try to keep that in mind, Minerva." The last word was tentative and Hermione's blush deepened. She had always longed to be able to speak to her professors on a first name basis, trading ideas and observations on magical theory. But the war had ruined all that for her. She could not just sit around being an academic for the rest of her life. Her ideas and theories had to become proven fact, and the only ideas she could have time for were those that would drive Harry towards the final battle.

* * *

The next morning found Hermione tucking one last book into her magically expanded trunk. She casually tapped the side of the chest with her wand, giving her a bit more room for the hefty tome.

She glanced around the room for a final time. There were memories here, but not all of them good. She remembered crying into her pillow too many nights, wondering if Harry was going to be alright after his newest scrape with death.

She touched the pillow, half expecting to find it soaked with tears. But the crisp linen was completely dry beneath her searching hands.

A whispered spell and her trunk floated up behind her. She fixed her eyes on the door and turned her back on the sad tide of memories that sought to drown her.

* * *

Professor Lupin's house was nothing special. The front porch sagged slightly where part of the foundation had crumbled and some of the masonry was in serious need of repairs. In all, the cottage looked much like it should, a home that had been in the Lupin family for generations.

Hermione ignored the faults and focused instead on the picturesque beauty of the scene. The front walk was overgrown by a line of rosebushes that Lupin obviously had not gotten around to pruning. Tall trees grew along the edges of the yard in neat and even rows, following the line of the crumbling stone wall that surrounded the house.

"Please forgive me. I would have done some repairs if I had thought that I would be having company." Lupin's eyes shone with sincerity, and perhaps a bit of shame, when Hermione looked over at him.

"It's beautiful."

Within a moment, Hermione had hopped the small stone wall and was wandering the front garden, inspecting the rosebushes with interest.

"My mother keeps roses. It's a pity they're never covered in Herbology." She ran a hand over the crimson petals.

* * *

Remus wondered what exactly to say, but came up with no good answer. So he remained silent. He approached the house down the front path with her trunk floating lazily behind him.

He tried to forget that the roses had been his own mother's addition to the Lupin household. He remembered watching as his mother pulled up all the monkshood from the garden after the attack. Every last one had been pulled that day and the next replaced with the roses that Hermione apparently admired.

"We have a lot to get done in the next few days." He reminded her, slipping by the entranced girl to unlock his front door and tear down the wards.

* * *

Hermione followed him inside. The house was larger on the inside than it had first appeared, but it was not spacious by any means. She found it difficult to manoeuvre between the haphazard piles of books that littered the floor. Bookshelves stood along the walls, sagging like weary soldiers under their burdens. The room felt like home to Hermione and she noted that there were two large armchairs hidden beneath yet more books.

Quickly she followed Lupin past the delightful room and into a small, but serviceable kitchen.

"Tea?" he asked politely, as he set the kettle on the stove. She nodded and looked around more.

Outdated muggle appliances stood guard over the room and the cream coloured refrigerator in the corner hummed a merry tune of its own.

Hermione nearly laughed to realize that Lupin's home was as pleasant and unassuming as he was himself.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at him as he lit the stove in true muggle fashion, by searching for a match when the fire did not immediately catch. She prodded the stove with her wand and grinned at his long suffering sigh.

"Sorry again, Mother never let me use magic in the house." The tension seemed to flee his body. He gave her a slightly crooked smile before going back to getting the tea ready.

"You mean you've let Mr. Weasley talk your ear off all this time for nothing?" She had experienced at least one of Mr. Weasley's lectures on how he believed muggle technology worked.

The smile became a full fledged grin and Hermione suddenly realized that she was dealing with a Marauder.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

One of my reviewers reminded me to get myself back on track. I can't have a Remus/Hermione fic without them having conversations. I wanted this chapter to end on a higher note since the next one will probably get into the nitty-gritty information that Hermione needs to know to survive as a werewolf. Then onto the real action, hopefully...

Remus's mom in this fic was a muggle, hence the appliances. There is no canon reference to him being a pureblood, so I don't see why he is always made one in fics.

Leave a Review if you have any questions, comments or outright flames.


	6. Chapter 6: Unpleasant Conversations

Reminder: Harry Potter and all associated names, etc., belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**...Chapter Six: Unpleasant Conversations**

They retreated with their tea back into the room filled with books. Remus carefully removed a few scattered volumes from the two rather moth-eaten armchairs. Hermione handed him back his tea cup and they sat in comfortable silence, sipping at their tea.

Remus was the first to speak.

"Minerva believes you'll be able to brew the Wolfsbane Potion for us next month." He watched as her face darkened. No one liked being reminded of the betrayal that they all had suffered at the hands of Severus Snape.

He looked down at his faintly trembling hands. Was it just nerves? Or was he angry at Snape? Either one made sense, before he remembered.

The full moon would rise tomorrow night. He wondered if Hermione felt the sense of apprehension and excitement that heralded the days before the moon.

He took a calming sip of his tea before speaking again.

"You won't be able to use it this month though. It's too late for the potion to have any effect. And as far as I've heard, it does little for the first transformation." That fact was not generally known. When he glanced up, her lips were parted as if she were about to ask him a question.

"What does it feel like?" There was no need for her to define what _it_ she meant.

He had expected her to interrogate him on the flaws and virtues of the Wolfsbane Potion. Instead of launching into the educational lecture that he had half planned in his mind, he sat motionless.

Her query was reasonable enough. She wanted to know what she could expect. But would she be frightened to know the truth?

"It's painful."

The wolf in him howled at the omissions made obvious by that pathetic comment.

Yes, the transformation was painful, but it was more than that. It was joy and freedom and a myriad of things that his human mind refused to ever accept.

He clamped down mentally, silencing the howl of the wolf, and returning the monster to where it belonged; the cage in the back of his mind.

* * *

Hermione felt a twinge of uneasiness at the closed and expressionless look on Lupin's face. She knew that it had been a bad idea to ask the question. She would know the answer well enough tomorrow.

How could she make it up to him?

She smirked and set her teacup down on the nearest stack of books. A quick and fumbling examination of her pockets produced a slightly battered, but still wrapped bar of Honeydukes chocolate.

Hermione uncovered the bar and offered him half, hoping he would remember the first time that he had shared a bar of chocolate with her friends. Since that day, she had associated the sweet flavour with everything the dementors were not. It was comfort, happiness and forgiveness.

She blushed. He probably only remembered giving the candy to Harry.

Nibbling on the chocolate gave her a reason to divert her eyes from her former professor's confused examination.

* * *

He realized how unfair he was being to her as he bit down on his own piece of chocolate. She deserved to know as much as possible before she faced what lay ahead. Or at least enough to save herself if things went wrong. Tomorrow they would have to introduce her to the pack he had been assigned to.

Since Fenrir knew his scent, he had failed to ingrate himself into the pack closest to the Death Eaters. Instead he was in contact with the largest pack in England, hoping to dissuade them from joining the Death Eaters when the final battle came.

"When we go tomorrow, remember to call me John." Who knew what would happen if she let his real name out. Her eyes focused on him and her chocolate bar lay forgotten on the armrest.

"I suppose Remus is rather uncommon." She grimaced. "Not that Hermione is much better."

* * *

She thought about that problem for a moment. Jean, her middle name, would just sound ridiculous paired with the name John. Jean and John sounded like a comedy routine. Both Mione and Hermy were out of the question.

"What about Diana?" Lupin offered helpfully. His comment made her roll her eyes.

"Subtle, very subtle..." She remarked before remembering that this was Professor Lupin she was talking to, not Harry or Ron. She compromised, "Diane could work."

She saw his smile. At least she would not be a werewolf prancing around named after the Roman goddess of the moon.

"Your last name will be Canis." The name sparked something in Hermione's brain and her notes from History of Magic flashed in her mind. Various werewolves that played major parts in historical events had used Canis as a surname. "It's the werewolf equivalent of Jones or Smith. Technically, you are Hermione Greyback, since Fenrir was the one to change you. We are supposed to take the last name of the wolf who attacked us. But the name Canis is different, it's the name taken by those who do not know their werewolf lineage." He added before she could ask.

She absorbed the fact that her name was linked to Greyback with a slightly ill feeling in her gut.

* * *

He fumbled around through his stacks of books, looking for the volume he sought.

Finally he found the dusty tome, between a gardening manual of his mother's and his father's old Care of Magical Creatures textbook. The weighty volume had not been opened for years. He did not need to open it to know that the words it contained shackled him as well as any silver could.

Remus handed the book to Hermione and watched a horrified expression steal across her face.

Knowledge itself could not hurt them, but the laws written on the pages of the book could.

"_The Werewolf Code of Conduct 1637_." She read the title aloud.

He pulled a slim text from his pocket and placed it upon the other book. Hermione looked positively murderous.

He knew the title well enough without her saying a thing: _Werewolf Control and Regulations_ by Dolores Jane Umbridge.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

The Umbridge reference is Russt022's idea, I would not have thought about sticking anything about Her Toadiness in this chapter.

Next chapter: Hopefully more action...

Reviews are always appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7: As the Full Moon Rises

Reminder: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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**...Chapter Seven: As the Full Moon Rises**

Hermione stood as still as possible. Hungry eyes studied her from every direction. Her heart thumped in her chest and even having Lupin nearby did nothing to calm her. The urge to run pounded in her brain, but something held her still. It was not Lupin, although his hand was on her arm. It was something else, a feeling that if she ran, they would give chase.

The camp was in shambles and the gaunt faces that turned towards her looked discouraged.

Was this the life of a werewolf? Was the only reason that Lupin had not found himself in a camp like this because of Dumbledore's help? Would she end up the same way?

Hermione imagined herself as one of the figures looking out from the tents. The thought disturbed her, but it made her remember that until the moon rose, the people before her were no different from the other witches and wizards she had met.

A man approached her and Lupin gripped her arm more firmly.

The man's eyes were those of a predator, sharp and glinting in the fading light. He was taller than Lupin by almost a full head and Hermione felt dwarfed under his gaze. Dark blonde hair fell in his eyes, obscuring the golden orbs of his eyes. The man was intimidating in every sense of the word. But he was not Fenrir Greyback, and for that, Hermione was grateful.

* * *

Remus tilted his head backwards, leaving the long, scarred line of his throat exposed to the man before him. He felt the feral gaze locked on his jugular, but made no move to lower his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Hermione make the same gesture.

The wolf within him raged at this forced show of submission. _He_ was alpha to the insolent pup before him!

A growl rose up in Remus's throat, but he silenced both it and the wolf. The mere thought that the wolf viewed itself as an alpha unsettled Remus. Alphas led packs, they did not standby and gather information. More than ever, Remus wished that he had the Wolfsbane Potion. It would make some things easier, but not by much.

"Raul, this is Diane Canis. My nephew found her after the last full moon." His voice sounded more hoarse than normal.

The blonde man looked "Diane" over carefully.

Remus knew that a woman who had not even transformed would be considered little treat. Perhaps she could succeed in getting the trust of the pack. He hoped that was the case.

"I suppose the pack could always do with new blood."

* * *

Hermione stiffened. What exactly was the man implying? Whatever it was, for once, Hermione found herself reluctant to ask. Even after reading what she could of the books that Lupin gave her, she still did not know the way a pack worked.

"Diane, this is Raul Arctos, alpha male of the pack." Hermione stood still, not knowing what to do. But as yellow eyes narrowed at her, she realized that she was expected to mimic her earlier action.

She leaned her head so that the pale skin of her neck faced Raul. It was easier to see his distressing eyes from her new angle and she hoped that he would be less frightening in wolf form. The chance of that was slim, but she clung to that frail thread of thought.

"Keep her with you, John, and away from the pups. I don't want them to panic when she starts screaming."

* * *

If Remus had disliked Raul before, that comment made him hate the man. Hermione was stronger than that. She had survived things that older wizards would run in fear from. No, he doubted that Hermione would scream.

The sun's steady progress towards the horizon broke the stillness. Adults ran back and forth, making sure that the wards were in place to protect loved ones who had wandered into their banishment with them. Children cast nervous glances at Hermione, uncertain who the newcomer was.

Remus led her to a clearing away from the camp. Others stood in a circle along the tree line. Most were men, but some hard faced women took their places amidst the host. At least thirty adults stood in the open space, but Remus knew that there was another clearing, heavily warded against entrance or exit, that held some of the more passive women and the children. No one wanted to risk their lives on pack instinct to protect the young. When the moon rose, humanity would fade, leaving even Remus to the will of the wolf.

* * *

Hermione felt it, a strange tension in the air. Everyone stood expectantly, looking upwards... waiting.

The moon slid over the treetops, bathing the scene in an unearthly glow. Hermione watched those around her. Some looked jubilant while others looked afraid. She turned her gaze to Lupin, only to find him watching her, his eyes dark with worry.

But that did not last for long.

Every muscle in her body cramped at once, leaving her gasping for breath. Her chest refused to move and her hands rose to claw desperately at her throat. A pair of shaking hands came into view, blocking hers from their intended purpose. The hands on hers were losing definition, fingers shortened and fur sprouted from their backs.

She felt as if her head was being pulled apart from the inside. A whimper escaped her mouth that sounded more animal than human.

Her body fell to the ground, twitching as her limbs twisted into their newly determined shapes.

But some of the feelings were familiar to her. Ears reformed and rotated upwards, folding back against the top of her head. Pain coursed through her as her spine lengthened, adding vertebrae to create a tail.

Fur covered her hands and face, as her back arched into its new form. Her shoulders warped and popped out of place, along with her hips.

She felt like screaming, but her mouth would not form the sounds she wanted. She wanted to run, but her legs were not her own. And then all thought stopped.

Pain, all was pain.

Hermione surrendered her awareness gladly as the last of her torturous changes coursed through her skin.

* * *

_The wolf rose, taking stock of itself. Long limbs, sleek haunches, perfect for running far and wide. Could the human she had been recognise her beauty? She doubted that. A human could not even recognise its own freedom. They caged themselves needlessly in dark stone boxes, scorning the magic of the forests. _

_The glossy brown wolf turned around carefully, watching the others in the clearing. Her brown eyes settled on the grey male beside her and her lips pulled in a wolfish grin. _

_He would be hers. _

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

I hope none of you were too disappointed with the transformation scene. I wasn't quite certain how to go about it, but I think it turned out ok. The references to the familiar changes go back to Hermione's second year with the Amazing Kitty Hermione/Polyjuice Screw-Up.

The surname Arctos refers to the speices name of the Artic Wolf. I can't wait to introduce you all to more of the pack.

Feel free to Review and tell me what you thought.


	8. Chapter 8: Cloves and Chocolate

Reminder: As always, I have no claim on the world of Harry Potter. It is the creation of J.K. Rowling.

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**...Chapter Eight: Cloves and Chocolate**

_He sniffed rather delicately at the end of a tufted brown tail. Her scent was that of the forest, a wild, earthy fragrance, but something underscored the smell. A sharp tangy aroma bit at his nose as he took a deeper breath. _

Cloves? _The word was not familiar to him, so he shook it off. Perhaps the human in him knew the scent, but the spicy smell did not need to be identified. It was _her _scent and that was all that mattered to him. _

_He knew what she was. She was pack, she was his mate._

_Another male stalked towards them and he growled deep in his throat. The large, white wolf ignored his protests and circled the pair, gradually getting closer. The grey wolf kept his eyes trained on the obviously interested male. His ears pulled backward and he bared his fangs._

_No one would have _his_ mate! _

_Body coiled in anticipation, the grey waited for his moment to strike. Just as the tip of a long white tail passed by his nose, he attacked. _

_He sunk his claws into the hindquarters of the offending alpha male. _

_With a yelp, the white turned to face his attacker. But as the grey stared into the yellow eyes of the white wolf, something within him snapped. _

_He was alpha and the pack would know it._

_He took a swipe with his paw, scoring the nose of the impudent animal that dare think to stalk his mate. _

* * *

_Deep brown eyes followed the scene before her. Admiration and a certain hint of satisfaction tinted her thoughts as her grey stared down the menacing white wolf. _

_Gradually, the threatening demeanour of the white was replaced with a hesitant lowering of his massive body towards the forest floor. But narrowed yellow eyes still focused on the wolf before him. _

_She growled at the white, tempted to dig her teeth deep into his offending flesh. But the grey beat her to it. Apparently the false display of submission had impressed him no more than it had her. _

* * *

_His jaws shot out, snapping the larger wolf around the neck. He shook the larger male, revelling in the power of the moment. _

_Looking back towards his mate, he casually cast aside the inferior male. _

_The wolves in the clearing lowered themselves to the ground as one being, making themselves as small and unintimidating as was possible. One brave female advanced on the brown and grey wolves standing beside each other. But a casual snap by a set of brown jaws sent her cowering back to the ground. _

* * *

Remus woke up feeling much better than he usually did. Gingerly, he moved a rock from under his back with his eyes still closed.

_Why am I not in pain? _That thought made Remus's eyes snap open. Not even when the Marauders had traipsed about the Hogwarts grounds had he woken up the morning after a full moon without a mark on his body.

It took him a moment to roll over onto his knees. After removing the rock, the ground actually felt quite nice, but he took that as just his natural exhaustion after such a night.

He sat up, taking stock of the others in the clearing. None of the wolves had wandered very far the night before, he realized with a start. Usually entire groups would go out hunting even if just to bring back rabbits. The need to hunt and bite was central to a werewolf's mindset. But none of the people around him looked injured. Had there not been dominance battles the night before? His head felt as if it had been stuffed with wool.

He felt the familiar tang of metallic blood in his mouth and wiped it firmly on the back of his arm. Dried flakes dislodged themselves from his lips and he saw blood beneath his nails.

All in a moment he remembered the fight with the white wolf and glanced around only to see the large blonde man breathing heavily halfway across the clearing.

A murmur from beside him stopped his search for knowledge. He looked down to see a lovely chestnut haired woman, sprawled in the dirt not far from where he had lain. As with everyone in the clearing, she was naked and he unabashedly let his gaze roam down her body. He did not remember seeing her at any of his previous encounters with the pack. But something about the tangle of brown hair...

Suddenly a cold feeling crept over him. He reached out with an unsteady hand and brushed the hair out of her face.

_Hermione._

Remus felt heat rise to his face, even as his belly was gripped with icy shame.

With a pained expression, he remembered Ron Weasley's tirade on his former professor's attention to his best friend. Had he been just concerned for Hermione's welfare? At least he could not remember doing anything untoward to the girl.

He wandlessly summoned his cloak and lay the tattered grey fabric over the girl, careful not to let his eyes so much as flit towards her.

* * *

Hermione woke to the sounds of groans from all around her. She watched through bleary eyes as people made their way unsteadily to their feet. It took a few moments for the details of the situation to sink through her dream-fogged mind. Most of the people around her were naked and all looked as tired as she felt.

She blushed slightly and kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground. Professor Lupin had forgotten to mention that detail of being a werewolf.

It took her a full minute to realize that if everyone else was naked, then she would be as well. A gentle weight covered her and she realized that she was not cold. Snuggling her face further under her covering, she fervently hoped that she could repay whoever it was that had thought to throw their cloak over her.

The smell of the forest surrounded her, but with a faint hint of something else that tickled at her nose as she breathed deeply under the cloth.

_Chocolate. _

The blush already suffusing her cheeks burned hotter as she realized that the cloak so thoughtfully covering her belonged to one R. J. Lupin. She did not even want to think about what that could possibly mean. But she was comforted by the fact that even though he was probably in pain, he had looked after her. The knowledge that her professor was still protecting her made it easier to sit up and carefully pull the cloak around her.

A small Japanese woman with a smiling face greeted Hermione as she sat up.

"Hello, Diane, John has a few things to do this morning, so he asked me to watch out for you." Luckily, even tired as she was, Hermione remembered the name that Lupin had given her, and the one he used for himself.

The impish grin on the welcoming face reminded Hermione of Tonks and she found herself smiling back. She shifted under the cloak, still slightly uncomfortable about her current state.

The woman's eyes lit with recognition as she watched the younger girl squirm.

"This was your first moon, wasn't it? I thought John just meant that it was your first with our pack. Oh, dear..." The smile was gone and instead the woman just looked flustered. _Perhaps not like Tonks then, maybe more like Mrs. Weasley, _the thought was easier than some of the others that crossed Hermione's mind.

The transformation had not been as terrible as she had been led to believe by the texts she had studied in third year. But still she ached deep in her bones and felt sympathy for Lupin who had suffered through full moons for longer than she had been alive.

"Could you just take me to John?" She wanted more than anything to see the kind face of her professor and be reminded that this was not her life. She was a prefect, not a girl who woke up naked on the forest floor. _But it is my life now, I'm a spy for the Order, I'll do what I need to do._ Suddenly being naked under a tattered cloak seemed like nothing. Many had fought and died for the Order. Surely she could stand a bit of embarrassment.

She struggled to her feet, holding the cloak closed about her with one hand, while keeping the other tucked in tight to her body.

As Hermione followed the tiny woman into the camp, she noticed more eyes on her than there had been the day before. She checked to make sure that the cloak was still firmly held in place, never stopping for an instant. She had to get to Lupin's side.

* * *

Remus saw Hermione before she saw him. Her brown hair was tousled, and there was a slightly desperate look in her eyes. The pack watched her. But their eyes were no longer hungry, they were wary and respectful.

One by one, the pack bared their necks as she passed.

Cold terror spread through his body as he realized the significance of the gesture. Defeating Arctos had made him the alpha male of the pack. But by protecting Hermione, he had implied to the entire pack that the girl before him, his student, was in fact his mate.

* * *

**...Author's Notes:**

Ok, slightly longer than my normal chapters, but it had action, well sort of. Writing from the perspectives of the wolves was difficult. I did a bit of research about wolves for this fic and found out that they tend to use a mix of intimidation and physical force in their fights. I figured Lupin could be quite intimidating if he wanted to, even if he is smaller than Arctos.

If anyone tries to tell me that a werewolf looks like a "ground sloth with mange" I will be annoyed. In the books they make the comment that there are only five characteristics that allow a werewolf to be told appart from a real wolf when in its full moon form. The only three actually listed are: eyes, nose and the tufted tail.

As to Lupin's roving eyes, in my opinion, if werewolves did wake up naked, they would get fairly used to seeing other people naked, especially in a pack setting like I have described for this story. Lupin is just appalled at the fact that the woman that he had looked over, in his opinion rather innocently, turned out to be Hermione.

I had to do something to force those two to notice each other. Lupin is too much of a gentleman and Hermione has always cared too much about what people think/say about her (well, except for Malfoy).

Leave a Review if you are so inclined, flame me if you wish, and question me at length about the story if you want to find out some interesting things...


	9. Chapter 9: Building A Pack

Reminder: Harry Potter and all associated names, characters, ideas and concepts are J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

**Chapter Dedication:** In loving memory of my own little wolf. Rest in peace, boy.

* * *

**...Chapter Nine: Building a Pack**

Remus looked down at the girl embracing him.

_Well, young woman,_ he amended as he remembered seeing her stretched out before him. Having a nearly naked woman clutching at him so desperately would have left him ill at ease at the best of times, but it was compounded by the fact that they were in a very public place.

"Get a hold of yourself, Diane." He admonished gently. The first transformation was never an easy one, and it would shake even the strongest up. He held her arms carefully as she pulled away from him.

Something strange shone in her eyes for just a moment and he wondered what it was.

* * *

He was right, but then again, Lupin was nearly always so. Something within her told her that any show of weakness would insight rebellion. But that was not her human thinking. Hermione had rarely cared about rebellion before, she had always been the follower, the one content to let Harry lead. Now she wondered about that.

The wolf within her would never allow her to calmly follow directions, at least not without an explanation. But as she looked at Lupin, she realized that no matter what, she would do as he said.

She sensed something she never had before, a shadow of the wolf stalking through her mind. Lupin may have caged his, but Hermione could not see hers as a monster.

Every movement of the wolf was grace embodied. And as she studied the mental image of the sleek brown form, images from the night before came back to her.

She remembered curling up next to the grey wolf, after his battle of wills with the larger white.

Hermione's eyes drifted to the familiar eyes and the greying hair of one of her favourite teachers. He was the wolf that had protected her during the night. He was the wolf that her other self had claimed to be her own.

Luckily Hermione realized that it was not the time to be contemplating such things. As long as she was with the pack, she was a spy and spies could not afford to be distracted.

"Is there anything we need to do?" She asked quickly, hoping he had not noticed her momentary pause.

* * *

Remus consulted the werewolves around him, hoping that Hermione would neglect to note the deferential treatment that he received from everyone.

After a minute, he turned back to her, choosing his next words carefully.

"You can go home. I'll finish up here." Hermione would take the comment as a kindly reminder that she needed to rest after the stress of the full moon. For him, it would be a reprieve from the fear that she would find out about the pack's view of the previous night's events.

She bobbed her head in the affirmative. Likely she would want a shower and a change of clothes more than spy work at the moment and Remus did not blame her. No one expected her to be ready to work right after her first transformation. He had barely been able to teach class after one of his.

With one last thankful glance, Hermione disapperated from the camp.

"Kimi, you were in charge of the pups last night?" He asked the small woman beside him.

Within the camp, certain traditions had to be adhered to. And one was the traditional form of address towards a child. They were always called pup by those older than them. The last time Remus had been called pup was when Fenrir Greyback had casually kicked him in the side the morning after he was bitten. The term in this pack was an endearment, however, not a curse.

"Yes, I brought them their clothes before I went to find Arctos." He smiled. No one had expected the blonde to lose his power to the middle aged grey wolf that had just recently joined the pack. The woman who had watched Hermione for him might have had her suspicions. "Connor will need a larger dose of Wolfsbane next month." She added in a rather serious tone for her.

The supply of Wolfsbane would be harder to come by now that Snape had defected back to the Death Eaters. Remus had been giving his dose to the pack since he joined. He believed, like the others of the pack, that it was more important for the children to keep their minds while transformed. They were protected from the outside by the wards, but that did little good if they were not protected from themselves. Two children could be given the potion in place of one adult. Remus had given up his potion without as much as a second thought.

* * *

Following Kimi, he made his way towards the warded clearing that housed the children's camp, stopping only briefly when congratulated on his new position.

The pups were uniformly dirty, each featuring at least one leaf in their hair. One small girl clutched a tattered pink baby blanket to her grimy face. Parents looked after their children, plucking leaves out of hair and tending to the minor scrapes that children always seemed to receive.

Two other children stood with the little girl that had caught his eye. None looked as if they expected any such attention. A young boy took out a handkerchief and made a valiant effort to brush the worst of the filth from the small girl's face.

Remus looked questioningly over at Kimi who wore a slightly impish grin. She reminded him too much of the Weasley twins for comfort.

"John, meet Alec, Leandra and Ana Greyback. Pups, this is our new alpha." A hand tightened around his belly as the children obediently tilted their heads to allow him a full view of their pathetically tiny necks. The two older children refused to look anywhere near his eyes once they had lowered their heads again.

A tiny hand found its way into his and he looked down to see Ana wrap her blanket one handed around her shoulders.

"Can we go home now, Mr. John?"

As he looked down into her eager face, he remembered a function of the alpha couple that he had forgotten until that moment.

_The wolf smugly settled itself into a more comfortable position. A mate and pups all in one day. He was developing a pack of his own._

**...Author's Note:**

Technically wolf packs raise their young as a group. Human nature out rules this instinct in my pack hierarchy. But as the alpha pair is viewed as protectors and providers, it makes sense to place the orphaned "pups" with them. I imagine that this could become rather like a foster family, in some cases very happy and in others, a miserable parody of family life. Arctos does not strike me as a man who would be thrilled with having children around, but Lupin would. Yet more stuff for Hermione to deal with when she finally learns what happened.

Alec, Leandra and Ana are all Greybacks. If you remember, in this fiction a werewolf takes the last name of the one who changed them.

Reviews are always welcome. I'm overwhelmed at the amount of commentary this fic is getting. Thank your support! And feel free to ask me questions if you have any.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10: Teatime

Reminder: All characters, places, concepts and ideas either belong to or were influenced by J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**...Chapter Ten: Teatime**

Tonks sipped gingerly at her tea. She was at least half-certain that Moody had tipped something into it on his last walk around the room before leaving Grimmauld Place for the evening. The reassuring burn that wound its way to her stomach helped her realize that at least this time it was not a poison. She would not have put it past Moody to poison her on a normal day to test her reflexes and skill at identifying and neutralizing the potion. But it was the night of the full moon, and even if he had wanted to "train" her as he called it, he would have had to contend with Molly.

It was strange for Tonks to think of Molly Weasley by her first name, after all, Charlie Weasley had attended Hogwarts the same year she had. She would always remember seeing the fearsome red-haired woman yelling at Bill and Charlie to behave themselves and to not cause their professors any trouble. If only she had given the twins the same warning. From the twins' arrival at the school in her sixth year, things had gotten interesting.

Not that she as a Hufflepuff had known them personally, but everyone knew that Charlie Weasley's younger brothers were some of the worst pranksters in the school. Tonks had not expected such behaviour after knowing that Percy Weasley was another of Charlie's brothers.

Tonks's thoughts were interrupted by a small, feathery form bashing itself into the side of her head. She caught Pigwidgeon to prevent him from flattening himself into her hair.

She was slightly surprised to find that the winged creature in her had was not the miniature owl, but instead a faintly orange canary.

With an explosion of feathers, one of the Weasley twins sat in her lap, smiling roguishly.

"Hullo, Tonks, m'dear." His smile was winsome and despite herself, she found a smile on her face as well. "I don't suppose you would share a sip or two of that delightful tea with me?" The young man gazed longingly at her teacup, as Tonks wondered how many other people had seen Moody slip the brandy into her drink. The gruff man was either losing his edge or trying to comfort her in his own strange way.

"Wotcher, Gred." She said, taking a chance by using the joke name she thought went with this particular twin.

His eyes lit with amusement that she took to mean she had gotten the name right.

"You can have the rest of it." She waved a dismissive hand at the teacup. He extracted himself from her lap and procured the cup from the side table. Taking a seat, the impish young man sighed with theatrical delight as he sipped at the tea.

"Mum locked all the good stuff away last time she found George and I passed out under the table." Finally Tonks had the real name to go with the face of the twin she was speaking to.

"So, why isn't George here as well?"

A fleeting glimpse of distress passed over the freckled face.

"Oh, he's just out with Angelina." He tried and failed to sound nonchalant. Tonks felt slightly better about her situation when talking to the red head. Losing the interest of a man who had barely noticed her at all was nothing compared to having a twin who was for the first time spending time with someone else.

* * *

Fred could not take it anymore. The limp mouse brown hair annoyed him, even if there was a small feather lodged in it from his expert use of a Canary Cream and a variant on the shrinking solution that Snape had made them learn their third year. Even if the old bat had turned on them, he had been an effective teacher for at least some things.

"Why are you sitting around here?" The library was clean after his mother's brutal cleaning frenzies, but it was still rather unwelcoming at times.

"The news always comes here first." Tonk's heart-shaped face looked towards the window, where a full moon hung in the sky.

Her melancholy was bringing his own to the forefront of his mind. He needed something to distract them, something to keep them occupied as a night that obviously was not going to be easy for either of them passed.

"That's it!" He cried out suddenly. "I have just the thing." Within a few moments, he was scrabbling back into the library, holding a bag of suspiciously unmarked packages.

The sight of his puckish grin made her playful nature spring forward. A good prank was exactly what she needed.

Between the two of them, they had a plan within minutes. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place had become stiflingly morbid in the days since Dumbledore's death. Both Tonks and Fred agreed that the inhabitants of the dreary old house could use a laugh or two.

As the sun rose over the horizon, the finishing touches were set in place.

* * *

Minerva looked around the empty Great Hall. Only a few teachers were at their normal seats at the table. Hogwarts felt dead to her. The echoing corridors and deserted grounds were reminders of everything that the Order had lost, that she had lost. Albus had always been her friend and mentor, and now she was expected to fill his imposingly large and rather gaudy shoes.

She smiled a bit at the thought of wearing Albus's shoes with her nearly uniform tartans. Albus would have found the thought even more amusing. Her smile faded when she realized she could never share the joke with him.

With reverent hands, she opened the pocket watch that Albus had carried for so many years. After examining the positions of the planets on its face, she silently stood up from the head table.

Remus's monthly message would be arriving at Grimmauld Place shortly and as the head of the Order, it would be her job to evaluate the information that he had gathered.

She flooed over just as Molly pulled breakfast off the stove.

"Oh, Minerva, we've been expecting you. The owl's on the table. He's refusing to give his message to anyone." With a nod, the older woman made her way towards the tawny owl sitting resolutely in the middle of the large kitchen table.

Upon seeing her, it hooted eagerly and stuck out its leg for her to untie the small rolled up piece of parchment.

The missive was rather shorter than Remus's usual correspondence.

_There have been some unexpected developments. Meet me at my old haunt at seven tonight._

_-R_

As Minerva read the note, she sipped at a cup of tea that someone had placed near her elbow.

* * *

Tonks choked back an indiscreet laugh as McGonagall's skin turned a perfect shade of plum. A few of the Weasleys looked amused, while Molly was obviously scandalized. But no one said a word.

Fred elbowed her in the side.

"Looks like something bad must have happened." He muttered in her ear as McGonagall's brilliant skin faded to a ghastly shade of lavender.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

I'm sorry this update took so long. I have an immense store of excuses, but I'm sure that you would rather read more of the story than read through my ever growing list.

As always, Reviews are welcomed, as well as comments, questions and critiques. And yes, even flames.


	11. Chapter 11: A House Full of Werewolves

Reminder: I do not own Harry Potter, as much as I would like to. He and all related characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: A House Full of Werewolves**

Remus could not help but notice that the cottage looked cheerier as he approached it. The children were looking slightly sick from the side-along apparition they had been subjected to. Ana's slightly green face peaked out from the pink blanket.

"Pretty flowers." Her tiny voice sounded odd to Remus's ears. He barely remembered being around a child as young as she was. The little werewolf could barely be five years old. The thought of Greyback biting the innocent doll-like child made him livid.

"Yes, Ana, pretty flowers. I'm sure that Diane will play out here with you after we get you all settled in." Hermione would be better at dealing with the children than he was. At least he hoped that she would.

Alec and Leandra were considerably more stoic than their younger packmate. They declined to speak to him, and he wondered just how horrible Arctos had been to them. Kimi followed behind the group, grinning to herself as they approached the cottage.

Remus opened the door slowly, marvelling at his transformed house. Those books that had been on the floor were now unwitting residents of the magically expanded and reinforced bookcases. The dust that had ruled the room had been banished more effectively than it had been in years. Yellow wallpaper was visible on the walls, where previously, only a layer of grime had been. He took a deep breath, amazed that for once, he did not break out coughing in his own home.

Snippets of a catchy tune wound their way through the house. He followed the melodic trail only to find Hermione singing to herself as she prepared tea.

It was strange to see someone else moving around his kitchen with such stubborn resolve. She was learning her way around his space with the same persistence that had made her the smartest witch in her year, if not her generation. Instead of simply using a summoning charm to find what she needed, she opened every cupboard and drawer in her search. By the time the tea was steeped, he had no doubt that she would know his kitchen just as well as she had known the one in the house she had grown up in.

Remus heard a delighted gasp behind him. Kimi was inspecting his shelves, obviously entranced with his wide variety of muggle fantasy novels dealing with werewolves. The books were remnants of happier days when the Marauders had thought it amusing to present him with a new one the morning after every full moon when he recovered in the hospital wing.

The children hung back, away from the walls and the two armchairs. They looked afraid to touch anything. Seeing their hesitation, he was suddenly more comfortable with the fact that he was now alpha of the pack. Being alpha meant that he could help in situations such as theirs, when he never could have before.

* * *

Hermione looked up and spotted Remus in the doorway to the kitchen. She forced herself to smile at him, no matter how much she wished to frown or scold him like she would have scolded Harry. The blotted parchment that she had received an hour after leaving the pack had panicked her and she doubted that he knew that. All she had known was that she had to hide the evidence of their identities, because some members of the pack were coming over.

"Oh, John, you never told me how many we were expecting for tea." The words were slightly forced and she hoped that no one would question her act. She bustled around the kitchen, taking down teacups and saucers from the cupboard by the stove, setting them daintily on the tea tray.

Hermione brushed past her former professor and entered the sitting room. One look around and she hastily cast a few spells to start a pot of hot chocolate for the children. Holidays at the Burrow had been good practice for common household spells.

"Diane, this is Ana." Remus said, laying his scarred hands on the tiny girl's shoulders. Hermione looked down at intelligent brown eyes, much like her own. The golden curls reminded her of a doll that she had played with as a child, before dolls had been replaced with miniature chemistry sets and rotating models of the planets around the sun.

"It's nice to meet you, Ana." Hermione carefully set the tray onto thin air, hoping that her knowledge of the spell would not fail her. She knelt down carefully in front of the scared little girl, wrapped in a stained pink blanket. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" The curls bobbed as she nodded her head.

* * *

"Alec, Leandra, this is Diane. Diane, you've already met Kimi Lightfoot." Remus tried to take calming breaths as he introduced everyone.

Alec looked slightly thoughtful as he surveyed the young woman who was only eight years older than him. The realization shook Remus that the children were closer in age to Hermione than he was. How was he supposed to keep up the charade that they were together?

Thankfully, Leandra appeared as passive as she had been since meeting him earlier that morning. She followed Alec's lead and since he was not doing anything, she would not either.

He had warned the children, and Kimi to behave as they would normally within his home. No shows of dominance or submission would be tolerated. The words had cost him. He hated having to be so stern with children, but he would hate it even more if passive Leandra or little Ana offered their necks to him in fear.

* * *

"Well," said Hermione, taking command of the situation. "The chocolate will be ready shortly, until then..." She conjured fluffy armchairs for the company. "I take it you'll be staying here." She said, turning to the children who had just settled down into the new chairs.

"Yes, ma'am," Alec sounded slightly impertinent, but she had dealt with boys like him for over six years now.

"We don't have any guestrooms prepared right now, but I'll see what I can do after tea." Just then, a carafe of hot chocolate floated into the sitting room to join the tea tray suspended in the centre of the ring of chairs.

* * *

Remus wondered how she knew that the children would be staying with them, but a glance her direction only made him ask more questions. Why, for instance, was she casting smiles at him and looking so comfortable in his home. It was almost like she had been there for years.

He watched as she poured out four cups of hot chocolate, handing one to each child and then placing the last cup in his hands. Was it his imagination, or had she purposely let her hands touch his?

Two more cups were filled with tea, one to Kimi's taste and one to Hermione's. They sat around the circle, offering idle chatter that meant little in the actual scheme of things.

* * *

Her gut twisted. He was her professor, or at least her former professor. The look in Kimi's eyes from the moment she had entered the room clearly said that everyone else present thought they were more than that. She knew what had happened the night before. It had taken her a little while to remember, but she knew the signs of submission towards an alpha. Both she and Remus had received those signs that morning.

The knowledge had taken a little while to surface, but she had not studied up on werewolves during her third year to no avail.

Their little conversation ended when Ana yawned and Remus looked down at his wristwatch. The wristwatch itself was a puzzle to Hermione, but she did not question it.

"Diane, I have to be off, if you could make our guests comfortable." She wondered if he was going off to report on the newest developments to Professor McGonagall.

He pulled his cloak around his shoulders, apologizing to his guests for his hasty departure. Within moments, Hermione was alone, in a house full of werewolves.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

Yet again, I refuse to bore you with excuses for my long absence.

Kimi's last name was originally going to be Hattai from the scientific name of a type of Japanese wolf that is now extinct. Her personality and physical characteristics though seemed to fix the other type of Japanese wolf, the Honshu wolf (also extinct) more closely. The problem was that the Honshu's scientific name is _canis lupus hodophilax_ and there is no way to make that into a good last name. So, Lightfoot it was, since I have actually heard that as a last name and it did not sound too bad with her first name.

Sorry the chapter was kind of boring, but I needed to get the kids and Kimi to the cottage, and I did not feel like doing so in a flashback.

Comments? Questions? Flames? Promises of devoted readership? Anything is fine by me.


	12. Chapter 12: A Great Many Things

Reminder: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, and I, sadly, do not.

* * *

**...Chapter Twelve: A Great Many Things**

Remus looked at the dusty floor and broken furniture. He had vague memories of ripping some of it apart during his school days. The floors creaked as he moved and wind whistled in through holes in the walls and cracks in the windows. As always, the Shrieking Shack made him feel very alone.

Some of his worst, foggiest memories of his childhood took place in the house. He had scars over much of his body from harm he had inflicted on himself while locked up on the full moons. But that was before the Marauders, he realized as his foot connected with something and sent it sliding across the floor.

He bent down and picked it up, a sad smile crossing his face. The butterbeer bottle had been there since his time at school. He wondered which of his three friends had gulped down the contents of the bottle while waiting for his transformation.

The door behind him opened.

A violet skinned, rather irate looking McGonagall stood there. A lock of bright blue hair fell from her usually pristine bun.

"Fred and George's work?" He asked, trying to sound casual about it. The woman bristled as she walked past him, and Remus realized that she had taken that particular habit from her Animagus form.

"Fred and Nymphadora's actually. They placed a colour change potion in my tea." Remus suppressed a laugh, before realising that he still had to tell McGonagall what happened. "Now, Remus, your note was rather lacking in details..." she prompted as if he were still a school boy who had left out important information on an essay.

"Nothing terrible has happened. The pack accepted Hermione readily. Arctos voiced a few misgivings, but the new alpha male sorted him out." It was like confessing to one of the Marauders' pranks, but this time he did not have his friends to lean on. Sirius would have found the entire thing to be rather funny.

"I've heard that tone before, Remus. What trouble have you gotten into this time?" McGonagall's expression was disapproving, but he thought he saw the ghost of a smile cross her lips.

"I fought with Arctos over Hermione. I'm the pack's new alpha, and they think she's my mate." He said each word very precisely, not at all like his childhood confessions over wrongdoing.

"Well..." McGonagall's lips pursed as she examined him with her usual critical gaze. "Very well then. You are in an excellent position to protect her and influence loyalties. Good work so far, Remus. I trust you will keep me apprised of the situation."

"Yes, Minerva."

He stood still, as she moved back into the hallway.

"Good luck, Remus." McGonagall murmured before she disapprated with a faint pop.

* * *

Hermione bustled around the small house, readying rooms for Remus's guests. Kimi had filled her in on a few points of pack etiquette while Remus was away. The guest bedroom that Hermione had slept in was now big enough for Ana and Leandra to share comfortably. The cupboard under the stairs now had far more space than a cupboard like it should have ever contained. An old trunk became a bed and Hermione silently prayed that Harry never found out that she had consigned a young boy to sleeping under the stairs.

She would have to ask Remus about adding another room to the cottage when he got back. She worried that he would take offense to her permanently changing any aspect of his family home. All the spells that she used were easily reversible.

Despite all her efforts in S.P.E.W. Hermione had never quite realized just how much magic a house-elf must put into maintaining a wizarding household. By the time she sat back down across from Kimi, she was exhausted.

Leandra, Alec and Ana were all asleep in the beds Hermione had prepared. Their transformations had tired them as much as Hermione remembered Lupin looking when he returned to teach after a full moon.

"You look ill." Kimi's face contorted with self-recrimination. "Oh, I didn't mean that, Diane." She looked absolutely frantic, jumping out of her chair and pacing about. "I should have offered to help you. I forgot how hard the first transformation is."

"Yes, you have." Hermione looked around the back of her chair to see Remus enter the front door. His eyes flashed amber as they settled on hers. "Diane, you should have gone to bed as soon as you returned this morning. I'll finish everything, you just go to sleep."

She smiled up at him, trying to focus her eyes.

Hermione stumbled up the stairs, wishing Kimi a good night before heading down the hallway to a door that she had not yet opened.

It was strange to enter Lupin's room. As a student, she had always known that he had to sleep somewhere in the castle. But knowing that he, like any normal person, slept was different than walking into his bedroom. But her brain was too foggy to focus on the details, and her eyes refused to see anything but the bed.

She crawled into the bed and fell asleep, completely forgetting her resolution to stay up and talk strategy with her fellow Order member.

* * *

Remus walked up the stairs, massaging a knotted muscle in his neck. It had been a long and stressful day, but he still needed to talk to Hermione. He knew, before he even opened his bedroom door that she was inside. The brightest witch of her age, Hermione had probably puzzled though the pack's behaviour before arriving at the correct conclusion.

What he did not expect to find, despite his insistence that she go to bed, was a rumpled looking Hermione stretched out over his bed.

Her hair cascaded over his pillow and for the second time that day, he reached out a hand to touch that hair. The bushy brown locks were softer than they had any right to be.

He quickly cast _muffliato_ at the corners of the room.

"Hermione, wake up." He urged, stepping away from the bed.

"Hmm? Remus?" He steeled himself against the sense of satisfaction that came as Hermione sleepily muttered his name.

* * *

**...Author's Notes:**

Once again I fell off the face of the earth. Forgive me for neglecting this story for so long. Large amounts of caffeinated tea before sleeping makes sleep elusive, but helps clarify storylines. So, there is actually a new chapter for you all to read. Isn't tea absolutely wonderful?

To all my faithful readers, thank you. You are truly the reason that I keep coming back to this story.

**Any comments, questions, or ideas of what you think might happen? I want to hear them all! **


	13. Chapter 13: Planning Time

Reminder: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**...Chapter Thirteen: Planning time**

Hermione looked up into the kind eyes that seemed nearly amber in the dim light of the room. _Kind eyes, kind smile, kind man..._ Her thoughts looped in an inane cycle that she struggled to put an end to. Despite being intelligent, Hermione's mind did not function well with lack of sleep. It took a second or two for her to get her bearings.

A flush crept into her cheeks. She felt ashamed of her actions under his kind gaze, even though there was no rebuke in it. First she had reorganized his home, then she had engaged in some rather passive flirting for appearances sake, and now he had found her in his bed.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I just meant to..." She sat up hurriedly.

What Hermione had meant to do, Lupin would never know. He silenced her with a finger to his lips.

"Everything is perfectly fine, Hermione. I'm glad you followed my advice. I am rather an expert on Dark Creatures you know." His eyes gleamed.

The unreality of it all sunk in.

She was in Professor Lupin's home, half asleep in his bed, and he was cracking jokes about being a werewolf. She had never heard him treat his, now their, condition in such an offhand manner.

"I see you've discovered that the pack believes us to be mates." She watched as his eyes darted around the room, as if checking to see if her things had invaded his private space. "Minerva thinks it is in our best interest to continue so."

* * *

Remus ignored the fact that his wolf very much believed that it was in his very best interest. The caged beast in his mind was calm and peaceful for once, with Hermione so near at hand.

_Mate, our mate..._ the lazy thought drifted through Remus's mind. He attempted to ignore it.

"It will prevent more power struggles within the pack hierarchy." He was still looking into her brown eyes. Remus noticed when the brain behind them began to work.

_Has Hermione always been pretty?_ His own thoughts clouded. _Definitely not_, he finally decided. The scrawny, bushy haired, bucktoothed girl he had known as his student held no appeal to any of the boys of her year. When had that changed? When had Hermione Granger become, if not a traditional beauty, then at least a girl who drew the eye?

Remus reigned in his thoughts, a skill that he had developed while learning how to control the wolf.

"So, the other four will be staying with us?" He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

* * *

Hermione inhaled softly, hoping she would not disturb his thoughts. It was his home after all. She was the invader here. She got off the bed and transfigured the nearby wooden chair into a small but serviceable bed for her use.

As Lupin thought, she examined his eye through the honestly curious eyes of a girl who had only ever been to one other wizarding home. Much of his house seemed to be filled with remnants of the time that his muggle mother had lived there. Things were nearly ordinary except for when one read the titles of books, saw a picture move or found a jar of potions ingredients in the kitchen cupboards. This room was entirely different. It bespoke the fact that the Lupin family had contained wizards and witches for generations.

A clock stood on the mantel of a small fireplace against one wall. The face showed not the hours of the day, but the phases of the moon. She tried not to think about that as she looked around some more. An assortment of wands were displayed on a tiered rack on the dresser. In one corner there was a freestanding tank that housed a grindylow which Hermione suspected of being the same one as from her third year. The writing desk in the opposite corner was littered with quills and parchment, presided over by a clearly ancient owl. Not even Errol, the Weasley's aging owl, looked so worn out as the rumpled tawny bird she now looked at. More bookcases held more exotic titles than those found in the living room and her fingers itched to get hold of them.

"Hermione... Hermione..." It sounded as if Lupin had been trying to get her attention for some time. She looked guiltily over at him where he still sat on the edge of his bed.

"Yes?" She shifted slightly, uncomfortable under his admonishing gaze. _Do all professors instinctively know that expression_? Hermione speculated, conveniently forgetting the many times she had used it on Harry and Ron.

"I was wondering if you had any ideas for a plan of action." The idea of a plan of action turned her mind back to the problem at hand. Harry and Ron never wanted plans. Suddenly she respected Lupin even more.

* * *

He watched as she planned. He had known planning was one of her strengths, even when she was a fourteen year old with a colour-coded study sheet she sought to make her friends utilize.

"Well, so far, I need to make Wolfsbane for us. The pretence of us being together must be maintained and we still need to figure out how your new position can be helpful for the Order." She declared, stating each item clearly.

The first problem was hers to deal with. Despite being a fully qualified wizard, potions were not Remus's strong suit. Pretending to be her mate appealed to his inner wolf. He silenced it viciously, but its brief rise had given him the beginnings of a plan for the last problem.

His pause for thought had given Hermione enough time to fall asleep again, despite her apparent attention earlier.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He whispered over at the huddled figure in the improvised bed. He took his nightshirt into the bathroom and changed into it, mulling over the complicated thoughts that were flowing through his mind.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

Where did all the action go? I want excitement and adventure. But no, Hermione and Remus are stuck in a house in the middle of nearly nowhere. I'm going to have to spice up their lives a bit.

Thank you for your kind reviews on this story so far. I have over a hundred reviews! I was excited to see how many people have decided to leave reviews.

As always, your questions, comments and even your flames make this story better. So, please leave a review.


	14. Chapter 14: Memories or Monsters?

Reminder: Harry Potter and all related bits and bobs belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**...Chapter Fourteen: Memories or Monsters?**

Ana stumbled out of bed. The house, though old and lived in, was new to her and she could not sleep. With her blanket looped about her thin shoulders, she went in search of an adult. Leandra would have tried to help her get back to sleep, but Ana wanted someone who lived in the house to banish the monsters that were lurking under her bed.

Tiptoeing down the hall in her stained nightgown, she clung to her blanket as if it were a lifeline. She did not want to admit that she was afraid. But even if she was a werewolf, the monsters under the bed still frightened her more than many of her pack mates did.

With one tiny fist buried in pink cloth, she raised the other to tap on the door before her. Surely Mr. John would be able to scare off the monsters, he had already scared off Mr. Arctos.

* * *

Remus woke to a hesitant knock on his door. He swiped at his eyes as he rose, noticing that Hermione was still deeply asleep on the other bed. With precise movements, he padded over to the door, his feet barely making a sound on the threadbare rug.

Wide, childish eyes looked up at him as he opened the door. Ana's tiny face was set with determination, even then it still looked sweet.

"There are monsters." Remus felt a sudden lurch in his stomach. What if the girl meant him? He could deal with adults calling him a monster, but he had never been able to face down a child with the same accusation.

"There are monsters under the bed. Miss Diane forgot to tell them to go away." The girl insisted. Whatever she had termed as monsters could not have been anything more than what muggle children saw under their beds, he thought. But helping her would not be a problem. After all, defence against Dark creatures was his speciality.

"Well, we'll just have to see what can be done about that." He walked out into the hall and took hold of Ana's proffered hand.

She led him down the hall, a faint skip in her step and a smile on her face.

"They said I couldn't boss them, I'm too small. But you can make them run away."

He wondered how much of her "monster" infestation was just childish fancy and how much had gained life through memories of things she had faced.

Remus entered the girls' bedroom, which was considerably larger than it had been when he had helped Hermione move her luggage to it just a few days before. He suddenly understood his former student's complete exhaustion; first the transformation, then some rather complex bits of household magic. It was a wonder she had been able to wake up at all when he entered the room.

Leandra was still asleep, curled up on her side and holding an extra pillow as if it were a teddy bear. She did not stir as Remus and a very excitable Ana entered the room.

At Ana's request, Remus got down on his hands and knees, commanding imagined Dark creatures to vacate the spaces under both of the beds. He then was ordered to make certain that there was nothing in the wardrobe that stood on the wall next to Leandra's bed.

The older girl stayed asleep through most of the exchange, waking up only once to ask why he was in the room.

"Ana wanted me to get rid of the monsters." He said soothingly. The girl nodded listlessly. But when she fell back asleep, Leandra clutched the pillow a little more gently.

When Remus was done inspecting the room, Ana approached him.

"The monsters went away for now. But they said they'll be back when you go." Her high, sweet voice was worried and her trembling hands were wrapped up in her pink blanket.

"Well then," commented Remus as he knelt down beside her. "I'll just have to find you a protector." His thoughts went to a dusty school trunk in the attic. "Ana, the monsters won't come back tonight. I scared them off. But if you need me, I'm right down the hall. So is Diane, if you would rather she help you next time." Ana flung her arms around his waist.

"Thank you, Mr. John." She hurried back into her room.

Remus shrugged off the guilty feeling that came with deceiving the girl. Telling her the monsters were gone was one thing, but listening to her call him by a false name was another. How would he ever explain it to her if the truth were to come out? He had not even been able to face the students at Hogwarts when they learned he was a werewolf. But then again, if the pack found out he was not who he claimed, explaining himself to a five year old would be the least of his worries.

* * *

Morning came, with Remus still worse for the wear. What little sleep he had gotten had been interrupted by the normal nightmares that he had after a transformation. Images lingered behind his eyelids of students and friends lying in bloody heaps on the floor. He could taste the blood in his mouth and feel it dripping down his chin.

* * *

Hermione woke up in a much better mood. Her dreams had been peaceful, her shower warm, and for once, her hair seemed to be willing to bow to her demands. She forced it back into a clip, hoping that the hairstyle would make her appear older. If everyone thought she was Remus's mate, she had better look like it. He had always been a neat, if shabby, man and her appearance needed to reflect that.

Dressed in a blouse and slacks, she made her way downstairs.

Ana and Alec sat at the kitchen table, both with toast on their plates. Leandra leaned against a wall, as if hoping that it would keep her upright as she took large gulps from the oversized mug in her hands. Kimi was nowhere to be found. Hermione could only hope that she was not snooping around the cottage.

"Good morning, Mrs Canis." Ana chirped sweetly. Hermione blinked. _Mrs Canis? _Though she did ask the question she still got a reply. "Alec says I can't call you Miss Diane. He says that you aren't a miss."

Hermione wondered about explaining to the children that she could live with Remus without necessarily being married to him. She decided against it. Time would teach them that fact.

She still looked down at her ring finger. What would it be like to have something there? Would it catch on the pages of books when she turned their pages? Hermione usually liked questions, but these were useless. It was much more important for her to continue her mission; help Remus influence the werewolf population against Lord Voldemort.

* * *

Dust stuck to his hands and landed in his hair. His clothes were a lost cause. _Too many years of casual neglect have made this attic into a veritable winter wonderland. _He mused crossly as he trudged his way through the swirling motes.

His old school trunk sat in the corner, surrounded by outdated school books. Two battered broomsticks rested on the lid. Remus pushed the broomsticks aside and opened the trunk.

Dust flew everywhere, adding fuel to his already annoyed state of mind.

But as soon as he examined the contents of the trunk, his annoyance vanished. Everything reminded him of the Marauders, from his old school tie to the Chocolate Frog card peaking out from under a discarded shoe. Battered quills brought to mind hours of listening to Sirius and James talk while he tutored Peter. A singed card from their replica of Hogwarts made entirely with Exploding Snap cards, everything had a meaning to him.

It was an item in the very bottom of the trunk that held most of his attention, however. A ragged, well-loved stuffed animal hunched against an ancient bottle of Ogden's. The black dog had been his only friend before school, but it was the later memories that brought Remus up short.

Sirius's animagus form had so closely resembled the scruffy toy that they had taken to calling him "Mr Snuffles" in its honour. He became Padfoot despite all their jokes that Snuffles fit him much better.

Remus tucked the stuffed animal under his arm. Mr Snuffles would protect Ana from the monsters, just as much as he had protected a little half-blood boy so many years before. And Remus devoutly prayed that if he could, no matter where he was, that Sirius would watch over her as well.

* * *

**...Author's Notes:**

I know that some of you have been waiting for this for a very long time, for that I beg your forgiveness. I get aggravated when stories that I am reading become seemingly abandoned, so I can imagine that you feel the same.

As to this chapter, I wanted to give a bit of feel for how life is in the Lupin house. I left off a bit suddenly with Hermione in this chapter, mostly because I intend to use the next chapter to characterize Alec, Leandra and Kimi a bit better, since I seem to be abandoning those three. I figure that breakfast is as good a place as any to begin. If you are wondering about the last line, I wrote it in there because I think that Remus would believe that Sirius and James are both watching out for him.

**I am at your mercy. You can Review, Comment, and/or Question me to your heart's content. And yes, you can even Flame me.**


	15. Chapter 15: Pups and Fluff

Reminder: As much as I would like to be the owner of Harry Potter, that is still the realm of J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**...Chapter Fifteen: Pups and Fluff**

Hermione watched the children, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do with them. She did not have any younger siblings, and the closest she had ever come to childcare was watching over first years when she had been a prefect.

It took her a little while to notice that the scent drifting over from Leandra's mug was neither tea nor hot cocoa. The smell was unmistakably that of coffee. Hermione wondered if she should comment on the supposed effects of coffee on a growing child, but as she had never had the opportunity to confirm those statements, she decided against it.

All three of the children looked much cleaner than they had the last time she saw them. The dirt from the last few days had been washed away and finally she could see just how pale and skinny they all were.

A growl of hatred rose up in her chest as her wolf responded to such obvious mistreatment of _her _young. If Lupin's wolf had not already put Arctos in his place, she would have.

"Can I go play outside?" Ana asked, all sweetness, despite the crumbs falling from her mouth. The view of partially chewed toast made Hermione feel slightly ill.

"Don't speak with food in your mouth." The command burst forth before Hermione could stop it. Years of seeing Ron do the same made her want to stop Ana's bad habit before it started.

"I told you." Alec looked triumphant as little Ana slid down lower in her seat. "Mr and Mrs Canis know about manners."

"Alec, that's enough." Hermione suddenly felt as if she had actually learned something from Molly Weasley. Even if it was only how to scold unruly boys. "Ana, you can go out to play as long as someone else goes with you. But I have some work to do today."

Leandra cocked her head to the side, suddenly looking interested in the conversation.

"What kind of work?

"Magic?" Ana's eyes gleamed. "Can you fix my blankie? I got a hole in it." She held it up for Hermione to examine.

The young woman inspected the pink blanket closely, since she did not know what else to do.

"I see. I'm sure I can fix it tonight before you go to bed. Just don't ask John, he's rather bad at mending." The little girl nodded.

Hermione turned back to face Leandra more fully.

"I was going to start a batch of Wolfsbane Potion."

"Could you teach us how to make it?" Alec looked eagerly up from his food. Hermione tensed.

"It's a rather difficult potion. Some of the ingredients could hurt you..."

"Come on, we'll be angels, I promise." For some reason she doubted very much the look on the boy's face that reminded her a bit too much of the Weasley twins.

Thankfully at that moment, Lupin entered the room.

* * *

Remus brushed some dust out of his hair as he walked into the kitchen. The smell of coffee wafting through the air made him fell slightly ill. He could never quite figure out why people drank the stuff, and only kept some in his home for what few guests he might have.

"Ah... Diane, I was wondering where you had got to." He glanced at each of the children in turn. Leandra's drink of choice surprised him and the stubborn set of Alec's jaw made him wonder what had been happening before he entered.

At last he looked at Ana, who was equally intent upon him, or at least the toy under his arm. A sudden thought came to him and with a flourish, he handed the stuffed animal to the girl.

"Princess Ana, I have travelled far and wide to seek out a knight worthy to be your protector. This is Mr. Snuffles, a brave and valiant knight errant who will protect you from the monsters under your bed." For just a moment, as he looked into the solemn eyes of the little girl, he could have sworn that he heard Sirius chuckle.

* * *

Hermione covered her smile with a hand. She had known that Lupin was kind and that he had been a Marauder, but for some reason it had never quite lined up. As a professor he had not seemed like a likely candidate for kneeling, dust strewn in a kitchen, pretending to be a courtier. But, Lupin had been surprising her lately.

"John, when you're done, I would like to speak with you privately." Lupin's head turned in her direction, and her eyes met his. With the dust in his hair, it was easy to forget the natural grey around his temples. And the mischievous light in his eyes made him look younger still.

A blush spread across Hermione's cheeks and her wolf howled its pleasure. This was _her_ mate, the thought of which made Hermione's blush deepen.

Loud sounds of fake kissing brought her back down to reality as Leandra and Alec made their thoughts about her actions be known.

* * *

Remus felt his cheeks colour slightly. Despite the fact that Hermione was supposed to be his mate, he had not given too much thought to what exactly that might entail. But with her hair pulled back and that pretty blush, he could almost imagine that they were actually together and that she wasn't a girl he had taught just a few years before.

Gently, he placed his hand on her arm and led her out of the kitchen.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

I know, I'm a bad person for just leaving it there. But, I have my reasons. Not the least of which being that I want to see where you all think this should go. I have my own ideas, but I would love to hear yours. And no, it will not be sex, get your minds out of the gutter.

I seem to have abandoned Tonks for another chapter. I might have to do another Remus and Hermione one before going back to her, but it will happen. And with chaos too.

As always, comments, critiques, questions, flames and reviews are all welcome. I want to hear what you think.


	16. Chapter 16: A Houseplant from Hell

Reminder: If I owned Harry Potter, there would have been a heck of a lot more unnamed casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts. Nope, J.K. Rowling owns the books, the characters and the world, but kindly lets us play with them.

* * *

**...Chapter Sixteen: A Houseplant from Hell**

Hermione's heart was in her throat, a feeling that she did not much care for. Only a few times previously had she felt so completely at the mercy of a man, but Lupin was neither Victor nor Cormac. His build was noticeably different from those two young men and he showed a degree of concern for her that even Victor with all his dedication to "Herm-own-ninny" had not cared so much about her as a person. And all that was to say nothing about Ron.

No, having Remus Lupin's hand on her arm made her feel a totally new kind of feeling. If the word "awkward" had been coined in that second, it would have undoubtedly referred to her rather tumultuous emotions towards a man who had been her teacher when she was fourteen.

Her wolf's pleasure almost outweighed her own compunctions though and she found herself standing closer to him than she should have.

"What was it you needed to ask?" She wondered if it was just her imagination or if his voice had really changed to a more sensuous tone near the end of the sentence.

She caught her breath while struggling with the warm feeling of her inner wolf brushing up too close to her skin.

"Erm... potions." She finally got out. "I was wondering if you had anywhere I could brew the Wolfsbane. And it seems the children want to help me."

* * *

Remus watched as her nose wrinkled up a bit at that last. He had wondered when he was her teacher if she actually liked to help students like Neville Longbottom learn their lessons or if she did it out of duty. The faint look of horror on her face at the thought of teaching two underage witches and one ten year old wizard how to make one of the most complicated potions she knew must not have sat easily. He focused on that thought to banish the ones of a pretty brown haired young woman lying naked in a forest glade.

"The cellar would be best. My father's old cauldrons are down there as well as some dried out ingredients. I've done my best to keep things down there orderly, but I'm afraid that since I am not particularly skilled at potions making, I don't look after them as well as I should. " He was rambling and he knew it. It had been an exceedingly long time since he had been nervous around a girl specifically because she was a girl, and not for fear that she might find out about his condition. The few dates he had been on as a blissfully ignorant Hogwarts student had ended after Snape's excursion to the Shrieking Shack.

"I'll need some fresh wolfsbane for the potion." He backed up a step. Was it possible that she really had not noticed the singular houseplant that occupied the windowsill of the kitchen they had just left? Fear flooded him. If Hermione had not recognised the plant right away, the children...

He ran into the kitchen and scooped up the wilting, but still green plant. His Marauder sensibilities had been tickled by the idea of being the only wizard he knew who had a houseplant that could kill him. That was of course excluding Professor Sprout and her assortment of doubtlessly dangerous houseplants.

With the plant held at arm's length, he walked back to Hermione. A stern, "Back to the kitchen" from Hermione sent the children who had followed him back to their breakfast.

He watched as Hermione's face turned white.

"I can't believe I didn't notice." Her self-recriminating murmur echoed closely with his thoughts.

"It's been a busy few days. You didn't have time to be identifying houseplants along with everything else you've had to get done."

She smiled sadly up at him. A tug at his heart made him realise that for the first time, he was seeing Hermione as herself and not just one of Harry's friends.

* * *

"No, it's not acceptable. But I might as well teach the children about it before they stumble upon it in the woods someday." She gently took the plant out of his hands and called the children out of the kitchen.

"Ana, Alec, Leandra, please pay attention." She held the plant down so that even Ana could see it. "This is your first lesson in potion making. This plant is known as monkshood or aconite. But the name that you will probably best remember is wolfsbane. As the name implies, this plant is potentially fatal if ingested or absorbed into the bloodstream of a werewolf.

Ana raised her hand.

"What's ingested?" Hermione smiled indulgently down at the little girl.

"Ingested means eaten. I want all three of you to memorise what this plant looks like so that you can avoid it in the future."

"But isn't it part of the Wolfsbane potion? We always drink that." Hermione wondered if Leandra would be a Ravenclaw when she was older. She felt a pang in her gut as she remembered Hogwarts and the fact that none of these children would ever be allowed within its walls unless things changed.

"Yes, it is in the Wolfsbane potion. When mixed with the other ingredients, the Wolfsbane is rendered safe, or at least safe enough. It will weaken your wolf, but not affect you too much otherwise. Now, if any of you want to continue learning about potions, I need you to gather some things from around the house. John's sense of organisation isn't what it should be."

* * *

Remus grinned at the parade of little werewolves following Hermione out of the room and into the kitchen. Her comments about him in conversation made the fiction of their relationship all the more believable. He just hoped that Kimi would accept it as easily as the children had.

As if thinking about the werewolf summoned her, Kimi walked into the room. Her hair stood on end and the expression on her face, along with the slouch of her back clearly stated that she was not yet fully awake.

"Good morning, Kimi." He said with a smile, remembering the days that James and Sirius used to appear in the Great Hall in just such a state.

"Not good yet." She mumbled with a yawn punctuating the comment. He sat down in one of the armchairs while still watching the woman. For some reason she seemed a bit familiar to him, besides the fact that she was a member of the pack.

She yawned again and sat across from him, obviously not willing to enter the kitchen, where sounds of giggles and soft admonitions indicated the presence of the others.

"Diane seems good with the children." She commented finally. Remus found himself agreeing.

"It's surprising. I wasn't sure if she would have the patience or the temperament for it, but things seem to be working out just fine." He must have smiled absently to invite the next question from the now more alert werewolf.

"Do you mind me asking why you don't have any of your own? I mean, I know Diane is young but I'm surprised you aren't a father."

"That seems to be a general consensus. The answer is rather simple. I never really thought about it. I've always had other things to do. The most I ever thought about it was when I tried teaching for short time." Remus cringed inwardly at the truths that he was bandying about. There was something about an early morning conversation that invited more confidences than one would guess.

"Well, I for one am glad that you're the new Alpha. It's good for the pups to get away from Arctos. It's good for me to get away from him too." The brooding expression on Kimi's face looked out of place and Remus wished that he could reassure her. But how long would he be the leader of the pack? How many days, months or years would it take to build up enough support to destroy Fenrir Greyback and turn the werewolves away from Voldemort?

It was easy to forget that Kimi as the pack's Omega was just as much under the sway of the current Alpha as the pups were. More and more as he saw the four of them wandering around his house, he felt better about the actions of his wolf. He had protected Hermione and in doing so, he had saved four people that would have continued to suffer had he not stepped in.

A crash came from the kitchen along with a slightly exasperated "reparo." Within a minute, a troupe of smiling children exited the kitchen and made for the door to the cellar, carrying a variety of bottles, bowls and each with a pair of dragon-hide gardening gloves atop their stacks. Remus would have dearly loved to know how Hermione had found so many pairs when it seemed he could only ever find left gloves.

"Kimi! Kimi! We get to help Miss Diane make Wolfsbane!" Ana called excitedly from over her full arms.

"Her name is Mrs Canis." Alec said sternly.

"Is not! She said I can call her Miss Diane still. Right, Miss Diane?" At that moment Hermione exited the kitchen, already wearing a pair of dragon-hide gloves and holding the wolfsbane plant.

"That's right, Ana. Now, if you three would stop fussing, maybe we could get to work." Remus recognised a faint trace of Professor Snape in the comment, but Hermione had toned it down so as not to make the children nervous.

He was just glad that he was not going to be the one teaching three little werewolves potions making.

* * *

**...Author's Note:**

Yes, I got something done. Hopefully now I can get the story rolling, but I doubt it.

The idea of Remus having a houseplant that can kill him was thought up with the help of Russet022. A delightful author who also helps me out when I make terrible mistakes, one of which will be rectified in the next chapter.

So, comment, critique, flame or just feel free to tell me what you like so far. I'm open to anything.


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